Team EBNE and Other Short Stories
by TyForestWrites2
Summary: A number of short stories focused around my Team SHDW storyline. Most of this content focuses around Team EBNE (written by H20Flame), but they're some other stories in here that are just as relevant. The stories will detail when they take place.
1. The Ogre of Grimm

**The Ogre of Grimm**

A Long, Long Time Ago...

In the rugged wilderness of Remnant, there was a nomadic tribe by the name of Resìtan. A strong, warlike people, this tribe valued strength before all else. They needed it, for the many tribes of the wilderness struggled and fought for the barest scrap of resources. Mills, mines, hunting grounds, they fought to the death for it all. They could not, however, linger around these resources. For in the darkness they were hunted by the creatures of Grimm.

Foul beasts that spawned from darkness itself, these creatures forced the tribes to constantly move from one haven to the next. Any who failed to escape the infinite march of Grimm were destroyed. Every man, woman, and child were torn to pieces by the wrath of these monsters. The young men of Resìtan alone would battle these monsters to prove themselves warriors. Those who killed a Grimm were given priority for survival in the tribe. The first to eat, sleep, and receive medical care, to be a slayer of Grimm would be the definition of elite. Those who did not kill the Grimm, would die. Whether in the attack of Grimm or by disease or by starvation, they would die.

In Resìtan, there was a boy by the name Grendel. A sickly and weak child, he was orphaned at the age of seven for he was expected to die as a weakling. Yet he continued to live on. No elder, nor warrior, nor laborer of the tribe understood how, or why, but he continued to live. Barely, he continued to survive.

He did whatever he could to keep going. Whether by acting as a practice dummy for young men in return for food or by taking the rotted leftovers considered beneath the tribe, he survived. He would not beg. As a child of Resìtan he knew it would be met with execution. The boy stole what he could, taking both verbal and physical abuse from the women of the tribe. It was a hard life of scorn and rejection. As a rule, he wasn't allowed to sleep in the encampment. So night after night, he lie in the cold, moist gravel.

He had only one true luxury. His only gift from his tribe was a long, thick branch just barely qualifying as a spear. Long and deformed, the staff was hard like iron. Grendel treasured it, for it was him: deformed, rotted, yet ever enduring.

Six years passed. Six years since he was first abandoned. Six years of sickness and hunger. Six years of abuse. Six years had passed when he finally broke.

Mangled from the beating he took for food, he crawled to the chief, Abel Cain. Cain was everything Resìtan admired: strong, relentless, and hardy. The tribe was moving and Grendel had not the strength to continue on. Quietly he begged the chief to slow the advance for only a little while. Only enough so that he could get back on his feet. Disgusted, the chief snarled at the thought of waiting for a weakling. Glaring at Grendel, he spoke his answer.

"A chief must never carry the dead."

With that, the tribe continued without the sick boy. He lied where his chief left him. Two days pass, yet he dare not move. Two days passed without a bite to eat nor a sound was made. Two days passed away.

He was not alone, however. A lone Beowolf emerged from the darkness of the forests. It approached the corpse like body of Grendel as a spider approaches prey caught in it's web. It attacked with murderous intent, but Grendel did not die. Grendel fought back. He got up, jabbing ferociously with his spear at his attacker. The Beowolf bloodied him, but it wasn't enough. A frenzy took hold of Grendel, and he stood triumphant over his bloodied foe.

More came after, as Grendel knew all too well. Beowolf packs, Boarbatusk and Goliath herds, Griffon and Nevermore flocks, Deathstalkers, Ursa, and King Taijitus all. They came alone. They came in great numbers. They surrounded him on all sides. They attacked him head on. They used dexterity. They used brutality. Somehow, someway, Grendel survived. He killed them one by one, day by day. Ever onward he wondered into the abyss of an infinite horde of Grimm leaving death in his wake.

Over the years he grew stronger. His muscles pulsed, his bones were hard. Every Grimm he didn't kill he devoured. His new diet changed him. No longer was he a sickly being. He was a slayer of Grimm. He wandered as a lost soul, crushing anything, and anyone, who got in his way.

One day, he came across a woman. She was draped in shadow. Impure veins etched themselves across her pale, death like flesh. Her deep red eyes pierced through the viel of darkness. Grendel's instincts screamed at him to flee.

But flee he did not. Grendel attacked. He struck out again and again and again and again. No one would survive his wrath, no one. Yet despite his blows, nothing seemed to harm her. Then, it was her turn to attack. It was soon over. Grendel was on his knees, drenched in his own blood. His spear, like his will, was splintered, cracked, and broken.

The woman did not kill him, though. Rather, she granted him her favor in the form of a Grimm parasite. She corrupted his blood, his very body. Violating each cell of his being with her black magic and dark parasites. Every inch, every crevice was mutated into an abomination. His skin turned pale like the moon, his eyes glowed crimson red. His teeth turned to fangs and his fingers grew into claws. The woman fashioned a black spear made from the bones of Grimm and granted it to Grendel.

Taking her blessing, Grendel went forth to do her will. Forcing his power over the Grimm, he formed an army which he unleashed on the nomadic tribes of Remnant. Killing and ransacking every tribe he came across, he made a note to leech the very life essence of every man, woman, and child who was not killed by his horde of monsters. With each victory he grew in power, devouring hundreds, thousands. He morphed more and more until he was finally unrecognizable. The people of Remnant dubbed him the Ogre of Grimm.

In his rampage, his Beowolf packs had attacked and cornered a familiar tribe. Grendel marched through the camp, eager for the flesh of man. He recognized the village as Resìtan, his old tribe. It had truly fallen. Shortly after leaving him to die they were hit by an ambush. Leaving half their warriors dead, they would continue to suffer from raids, food shortages, and disease. It was clear they were in dire need of aid. What food they had was maggot filled and rotten. Malnourishment plagued the camp. The people lurched back from the Ogre, fearful like mice in the presence of a lion.

The Ogre made clear who he was. The tossed aside boy, Grendel, demanded to see Abel Cain. Fearfully, a single child lead him to Abel Cain's makeshift tent.

Grendel was embraced by Abel Cain. He pleaded for a son of the Resìtan tribe to save his people, not as an outcast but as the new chief. He begged desperately, offering the position of chief to Grendel. Grendel looked around, he saw the faces of decrepit women, who shooed and beat him away so often. He saw the faces of men who had battered and broken him in return for scraps. He saw the disease ridden children, innocent yet doomed to die. He saw the face of Abel Cain, his eyes were filled with many things. Desperation, sickness, weariness, fear, and... Hope?

Hope? From a people so broken. From a tribe so adept in war. From a people so built upon the dominance of the superior human. From a people who are dead.

They are a dead people.

He knew his answer. Grendel leaned in and whispered to the former chief.

"A chief must never carry the dead."

The Beowolves didn't wait for Grendel's orders. They didn't have to.


	2. The Mantle Creation Myth

**The Mantle Creation Myth**

A long, long time ago...

Once, there was nothing. All was the void. In the void was the great Divine. The Divine had no desire, nor any need. He had, however, the will to create.

And so it was. He crafted Remnant, it's waters and it's mountains. Every bird, beast, and fish he personally crafted. Then he created his zenith: humans.

They were his finest creation. Humanity had no wings for flight or gills for the sea. Even the beasts of the land outmatched them in virtually every physical attribute. Despite these disadvantages, humanity had what animals did not: questions. As the Divine walked amongst his creations, humans would ask him questions to satisfy their curiosity. Sometimes they would ask about the animals, sometimes about Remnant. The Divine answered all.

One human in particular asked about something else entirely. He would ask about the Divine. The particular human would question the nature of his existence and the concept of creation. The Divine answered all.

In order to better serve mankind's needs, The Divine bestowed power on to the inquisitive human. Endowed with great power and blessed with a strong imagination, they sought out ways to further humanity's perfection. Soon, this particular human would go on to create a vast array of wonders for the benefit of all humanity. Magic and alchemy were their personal favorites. The human would, therefore, be dubbed "The Spellcaster".

Over the years The Spellcaster would continue their work, crafting magnificent magics and shaping the land to be even more perfect. As their machinations grew, so too did their followers. It was, however, never enough. Despite designing a paradise alongside The Divine, they knew full well that their abilities were not their own. At first, this was a simple observation of fact. But as time went on, it festered into resentment. The Spellcaster bore witness to the withering costs of mortality. How could humanity ever ascend to new heights if The Divine held a monopoly over creation? Why must man be mortal and die, while The Divine lives on?

The Spellcaster plotted and plotted with those who followed them until they finally found a solution. They set themselves apart from humanity and, hidden away in the dark, fashioned the first weapon, an iron dagger. Then in the night, The Spellcaster crept up on the sleeping form of The Divine. With surgical precision using the iron dagger, the flesh of The Divine was cut. Emitting forth was four different colored liquids. The Divine awakened and, in furious wrath, took hold of The Spellcaster. The multicolored blood from the cut seeped into the earth, sprouting four different colored crystals.

"Vile ingrate! You, who was blessed with so much, would dare harm another? For what did you go through such effort? This hued rock? Such shortsighted arrogance! Perhaps you wish to name this creation, you, who came from dust? Perhaps we can name it after your fleeting kind. Dust! Enjoy your blessed rocks. Unto you, I shall cast my curse."

 _By Curse of Savagery, all mankind will follow your example. Brother will take up arms against brother. The will of the sword shall be thy law. May humanity never know peace._

 _By Curse of Blood, a mark shall forever stain your visage and the visage of your followers, so that all may know of your wickedness. Because you have chosen the path of the beast, a beast's form you shall have. Let your men grow claws and your women grow horns. Not even thy children will evade this curse, nor their children. Bound for all eternity your people will be to fauna._

 _By Curse of Void, you have acted out of the fear of mortality, so your fear of death shall be multiplied a hundredfold! Within every shadow and hidden in the dark I shall send forth to dwell amongst you the wrath of grim beasts. As black as thy soul, they will forever hunt you and the rest of humanity. The shades of your wickedness will haunt you with their coming. No paradise awaits you beyond time, only Oblivion. As you have chosen to strike me for petty gains, the dark monstrosities I summon shall hunt you for sport and carry you on to utter nothingness._

 _By Curse of Doom, know that your fate is sealed. When the seas turn red and the skies become black, your descendants shall know of my coming. Grim heralds shall announce my coming. Once I return, I will cleanse Remnant as a flood washes away the filth. Such is the doom of man._

* * *

Years before the events of RWBY Volume 1

"Well that's the end of the tale," Colonel Bryagh Lilith said.

He looked expectantly to his darling daughter, eager to hear her response to this bedtime story. She always had many thoughts on the myths and legends and fairy tales she was read. Of course, the Colonel was always troubled by her positive reactions to the darker and grim stories. Even at the age of seven, Brittany Lilith had a fascination for tragedies and unhappy endings.

"I loved it, Daddy," Brittany exclaimed with glee, "The Curses are my favorite, though."

She squirmed underneath the blankets of her bed, giddily imagining the scenes in the story.

"Can you read another one? Please?" she begged her father.

He could only smile forlornly at the request, "I'm sorry my little dove, but you need to get some sleep. It's getting late and tomorrow is your eighth birthday. You don't want to be tired on your birthday do you?"

Brittany pouted in protest but nonetheless resigned herself. She really wanted to hear another story. It's the only time she and her father could be alone. She didn't feel like sleeping. Something was bothering her, though. It was something in the story.

"Daddy, are the people in town cursed?" she nearly whispered.

Bryagh Lilith was taken aback by the question. His daughter had never been shy to strangers, least of all in Mantle. He considered that she may have noticed the poor condition of the city more clearly then he thought. Then it occurred to him that the story is to blame for this sudden question. After all, it's hard to miss the Curse of Blood in a city of Faunus.

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart," he confessed.

"Are they really that bad? I didn't think anyone in town was a bad person," Brittany said slowly tearing up.

Seeing her eyes begin to fog, the Colonel placed a hurried grasp on her cheek. He had to correct her if only to keep his daughter from becoming guilty for thinking ill of others.

"No! No, my little dove, they aren't bad people. None of them are bad. They're just being punished for the actions of their ancestors. None of them did anything wrong," Bryagh hastily comforted her.

She drew deeper into the covers, "But why are they cursed then? It's not fair."

Her father could only sigh, "It isn't fair. They never asked to be faunus. Still, there is good in them nonetheless. Don't let it get to you-"

A burst of knocks rocked on to the bedroom door. The muffled voice of a woman could be heard from the other side.

"Bryagh, it's late! Get her to sleep and come to bed."

Colonel Lilith checked his watch. It was half past ten. Perhaps he did lose track of time. He kissed Brittany on the forehead.

"Goodnight, my little dove," he whispered.

The Colonel then took his Solaris, the holy book of his religion as well as the source of the story, rose up and made his way to the door. He flipped the switch for the lamp at the door, painting the room in darkness.

Brittany watched as he opened the door, letting in a cascade of light and revealing the woman who interrupted her time with her father. It was her foster mother, wearing her usual wary and disappointed expression.

Brittany felt a chill from her foster mother's gaze. No matter how often she saw it, the expression always had a cold and spiteful disdain about it. Brittany had suspicions as to why, of course. Even a girl like her could pick up on rumors and gossip. Maybe she was cursed, too. The faunus never asked to be born Faunus. Brittany never asked to be a bastard child.


	3. The Tale of Hallow Eve

**The Tale of Hallow Eve**

Just before the events of RWBY Volume 1

Hallow Eve was twenty years old when he came across an abandoned house. He had been kicked out of Beacon several months prior for being... well, let's just say misbehaving was putting it very mildly. He was seen by most as a total creep, and his sanity was often called into question. After snapping at a teacher and attacking them, he was expelled and left to wander, having no family left to go to.

Hallow had yellow eyes, as well as a strange mixture of orange and black hair. His weapon was simply a kitchen knife that could grow into a machete, the simplistically of it being something he was mocked for. His Semblance was what made him creepy to everybody. Simply named Dark Void, the area around him is surrounded by darkness, and whoever was unfortunate enough to get trapped in it lose all senses except for hearing.

During this, the only thing the victims ever heard was the sound of giggling.

After wandering for four years, Hallow found himself on the island of Patch, in front of a run down home surrounded by police tape lines. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew that about a year prior, the White Fang destroyed the home and killed two people who lived there.

Hallow smiled, quite excited about staying the night in the dead people's house. He made his way under the police tape and through the giant hole in the wall. Deciding to explore the house a little, he made his way down to the basement of the house. He certainly didn't expect what he found. In the basement was a large laboratory, filled with vials filled with liquids, as well as a few needles for shots.

But there was suddenly a low growl behind him. Hallow slowly turned to see a pair of red eyes staring right at him. A Beowolf. Hallow's mouth twisted into a wide grin, bringing out his knife, but the Grimm had already pounced, knocking into the man, sending them both sprawling, knocking over a few shelves. The two wrestled for a few seconds before Hallow stabbed the Beowolf in the gut, causing it to howl in pain, but not enough to kill it.

It clawed at his face and eventually hit him into a shelf. Hallow looked up and there was a sign that read "Prototype Enhancements". But he didn't necessarily care. He grabbed one of the vials in one of the shelves and downed it in one gulp.

But to his utter disappointment, nothing happened. Hallow growled in anger and proceeded with killing the Beowolf. Despaired at nothing happening, he walked back upstairs and crashed on a bed.

And then the nightmares began.

All it was was a faceless voice speaking with him. It was a creepy, high pitched voice speaking to him, and the days after Hallow woke up, those words echoed in his mind, becoming his own ambitions. But the descent into this situation was gradual.

At first, the words spoken by the voice were quiet advice, whispers. After hearing those whispers, Hallow's life changed from wandering man to wandering thief. Steal for survival, the voice had advised quietly. When the voice began talking loud and clear, Hallow's thievery became less and less subtle. It wasn't long after that advice that Hallow became a wanted man.

Then the advice became commands... all of which Hallow followed, his resolve quickly dissipating. "Wanted for Thievery" became "Wanted for Murder". It wasn't long after the commands started coming that Hallow's agreements became instincts. Whatever the voice said went. It was absolute. And then... there were no more thoughts. He murdered humans out of no purpose... somehow sensing their fear and despair, and following that. Hallow wandered Remnant, killing any human he came across.

And now that his mind had changed, his body was next. His teeth grew sharper, his eyes became slitted, his feet and hands sprouting claws, he grew a long tail, wings sprouted from his back, and his skin turned pitch black. But his face... out of nowhere, a mask resembling that of a Grimm's face appeared on his own. He had become more Grimm than man, and he no longer spoke in any human language, only growls and roars. The only thing human about him was his laugh, which even then was very inhuman.

His, no, its reputation spread throughout Remnant like wildfire. Entire villages and bandit tribes alike were laid to waste, some witnesses even reported seeing him at the Fall of Beacon. Newspapers labeled him as "the worst monster since the Ogre", only frightening more people. This "Demon Grimm" and it's rampage went throughout the world, seemingly taking pride in the fear it caused.

But one day, in Vacuo, it's own kind turned against him. Grimm Hallow was taken completely off guard when packs of Beowolves and Ursai charged him. Though taken aback, the Demon did what it did best: killed. From Ursai to Lancers to even Death Stalkers, nothing got past it. And when it seemed as though no more were left... there were loud, thunderous footsteps.

When the Demon looked up, it suddenly understood why the Grimm had targeted him: they were ordered to by the very thing in front of him. The pale white skin and the large spear were unmistakable. The Ogre of Grimm itself had come to fight the Demon. Though for the Demon, this just raised the question of why the Ogre was attacking him in the first place, but it didn't ponder that question for too long, because the battle began.

Blow for blow, strike for strike, the two were evenly matched. Hallow was faster and its smaller size made it harder to hit, but it also had a relatively weak weapon compared to the Ogre's, who also had the bulk to tank more hits. The two battled for what felt like days, the Demon's laughter dying down over time, slowly losing stamina. The Ogre finally got enough hits in, and Hallow blacked out.

It woke up after it was tossed onto solid ground. The Demon snapped to attention, turning towards who threw him, and saw the Ogre. Then it looked around and saw himself in a strange new environment. The place was colored purple and black, with the terrain being very rocky. Then he saw what he was thrown at the feet of.

It was a woman, who wore a long, black dress, had braided white hair, and skin just as white as that hair, black veins visible on her arms and face. Her red eyes that seemed to stare into its soul felt so captivating to the Demon. She was terrifying... something Hallow found amazing.

"Hello, Hallow," she said in a melodious, yet ominous voice, "My name is Salem. I would like to have a talk with you."


	4. The Original Grimm

**The Original Grimm**

A long, long time ago...

In the beginning, there was creation. The two brother gods were in a everlasting battle, creating forces of nature to contrast with one another. The older brother was the creation deity, creating things such as plant and animal life. The younger brother was the destruction deity, creating things such as natural disasters and carnivorous life. However, the younger brother discovered that no matter what or how much he destroyed, his brother's created life still prevailed. So he created what he considered his masterpiece.

He created five creatures, similar yet different to his brother's animals. The first was a colossal bird, black smoke billowing off it as if it were like his previously created wildfires. He had called it the Phoenix, and it took to the skies. Whilst in the air, a few puffs of black smoke would occasionally break off completely, and new creatures were created, including what would be known as Nevermores. They terrorized the sky, preying on the regular birds in the air.

His second creature was his experiment to try to outdo himself. Its appearance was that of one of his older brother's reptiles, only this one, like the Phoenix, was massive and had wings. In its mouth were rows upon rows of sharp teeth. The younger brother called this one the Dragon. Out of its belly dropped black ooze, which formed into more creatures, again similar to its predecessor, though these creatures roamed the land, known today as Ursa, Beowolves, and other land monsters, and attacked the animals of the land.

The third monster was placed in the sea. After realizing he had both land and sky dominated, the god decided to gather oceanic dominance as well. It was a very large squid, who the brother lovingly called the Kraken. It occasionally spurted out the black ooze from its underside and created more sea monsters. Together, this new monster and its underlings preyed upon the world's aquatic life.

The fourth creature was created when the younger god had come to the thought that there was no such thing as overkill. So within the ground, he created what appeared to be a motionless statue, somewhat resembling that of a meditating gorilla. Black smoke oozed out of its body as well, creating subterranean monsters, such as what are known now as Creeps. They helped finish off what was left of the planet to conquer.

The fifth and final monster, for now at least, was formed when the destruction deity decided to get creative. Unlike the others, it could not create new monsters, but its own unique abilities made up for it. It was a large reptilian, though not quite as dwarfing in size like the rest. Its head was similar to the Dragon's, only smaller, and the neck was stretched for about ten feet. The destruction god even gave it a different ability, and even though he doubted it would be used, he still felt was creative. He called it the Hydra.

And with that, the now tired god looked upon his creations with pride, calling them all under one name: the creatures of Grimm. Unfortunately, it was then that his brother called for a truce. At first, the younger brother was skeptical, thinking that this was his older sibling's way of giving up. Then, the creation deity showed his brother his own project, one that he thought would end their feud. But the younger brother knew his brother's kind heart. He knew that his older sibling had originally planned on using this project to combat his own masterpieces, and had changed his mind, thinking that their bitter rivalry would end.

Humanity. Together, the creation god had explained, the two brothers could create beings that could choose their own path, not set to it by their creators. Complete and absolute independent thought. The younger brother was... well, if he was being completely honest, intrigued. It was an interesting endeavor. Perhaps it would be a little fun. And thus, they set to work. Creating such things as Aura and Semblances, making unique characteristics for each one. It was certainly one of the most unique endeavors the younger god had gone through.

However, it wasn't quite as much fun as the destruction god had thought. Certainly not as much as his Grimm. And when they set them down onto the world, the humans and the Grimm almost immediately fought each other, further confirming the younger god's suspicions about his brother's original intent for the humans. However, as unique and intelligent these humans were, they were no match for his creatures. Even more pride swept through the destruction deity, knowing his own creations outmatched his brother's.

However, then the humans discovered what they called Dust, an unknown element that even the younger god had not known of. He grew angry and confronted his older brother, knowing he was behind giving the humans an edge. The older god never verbally confessed, but the mischievous glint in his eyes said it all. And with that, humans seemed to have gained the upper hand. They began crafting weapons to combat the Grimm, slaughtering so many that the young deity got nervous that even his main five monsters wouldn't be able to keep up, only angering him more. This was the last straw.

He decided to take a page from his brother's book and create his most powerful creation yet, its appearance based off of a human female, yet given some of the attributes of his Grimm. Her skin and hair were as white as snow, black veins snaked around various parts of her skin, and she wore a black dress. He even gave her a somewhat independent thought process, though he gave her the ideals of him and his Grimm. She would be cold and calculating. She would rule over his Grimm, and make sure his brother's creations would suffer for a long, _long_ time.

She was named Salem, the Human Grimm.

* * *

The destruction god brought the original five Grimm together in one place before presenting Salem to them. They were given no orders, left to their own devices as for what to do with this new arrival. Salem just had an uncaring smile on her face, waiting for one of them to make the first move. The Phoenix and, quite surprisingly, the Golem moved first, but not to attack. They _bowed_ to Salem without any sort of resistance. The remaining three, however, were not granted with the same intelligence.

The three attacked at once, the Hydra charging, the Dragon roaring as it dived, and the Kraken shooting out a few of its tentacles. The woman simply raised one hand, and everything stopped. The three monsters had frozen in place, completely unable to move except for their eyes. Salem then aimed her hand at the Dragon and threw her hand down. The airborne Grimm followed the movement against its will, slamming into the ground harshly. She then aimed her hand at the Kraken and twirled her hand in place. The sea Grimm's appendages began to wrap around its body, the creature howling in pain as Salem clenched her hand in a fist, the Kraken's own limbs tightened around it.

She then directed her attention toward the Hydra, which was glaring at her with an intensity that would have likely caused most humans to pass out from fear. But Salem was no human. She just smiled amusingly at it before waving a hand at its neck. And in one swift motion, the Hydra's head and half of its neck were cut off of the rest of the body, and the body collapsed to the ground. She just shook her head, still maintaining a smile, but her eyes said differently. She would not take insubordination lightly, and it was clear to her that the Hydra would continue has she not done what she did.

However, the Hydra's body began to stir. Salem's smile faded as she raised an eyebrow. The body then got back to its feet, and the neck began to pulsate. Suddenly, the neck split into three necks, and a head regenerated from each neck. The hidden ability that the younger god had given it came in handy after all. And while the other Grimm had learned their lesson, the Hydra just appeared to be purely chaotic. It charged again, but again met by the same resistance once Salem raised her hand, only this time, she didn't chop off any heads.

This time, she spoke, **"Fall."**

And all of the Hydra's normally red eyes began to roll as it then collapsed to the ground again, completely unconscious. She then turned her attention to the rest of the Grimm, all of whom had submitted to her authority. She smiled at the sight of the creatures bowing before her before turning her attention back to the fallen Hydra. This one was different... Salem could hear its thoughts, and she knew that this particular Grimm wouldn't be so subservient. It's very being was chaotic, without order. She would have to fix that.

But for now, Salem basked in the glory granted to her.

* * *

Over the countless years now, the younger god watched Salem and her hordes in amusement, as well as having a bit of fun watching his older brother get seemingly distressed at some of her actions. So much so, that the creation god even sought fit to make his own creation to counter, granting a human magical abilities, as well as a unique form of reincarnation, where every time this human died, his soul would transfer to someone already living, where they and their memories would occupy that mind. And while the voice would eventually fade, the memories would not, and this cycle will continue until Salem's defeat.

The younger brother scoffed at that notion. That human wizard had tried and failed in all of their lifetimes. The brother took pride in watching this human struggle. The only time he showed any sign of nervousness was when the wizard trapped the Dragon Grimm in what would be called Mountain Glenn. He may have also stirred a little when the four Maidens were created, but only as a slight annoyance. All it did was weaken the human.

As for what Salem did, he watched as she changed the original Grimm, all for the better. Starting with the Hydra, she gave it the ability to speak, but she also gave each head a different personality, thus creating just as much chaos among itself as it wanted to cause to others. As reward for instant submission, Salem granted the Phoenix and Golem Grimm human-like intelligence, as well as their own form of wisdom and the ability to speak. The Dragon and the Kraken were allowed the freedom to roam the planet, rather than stay within Salem's new home borders. But perhaps what impressed the destruction god the most were two particular times she came into contact with humans.

Barely a hundred years after being brought upon the planet, she had found a young teenage boy, who had slaughtered countless Grimm and was the only one who actually made it to her on his own. The boy was a savage, trying at every point in his meeting with her to brutally tear her apart. But something about the boy had intrigued Salem, and she decided to make him one of her own. After using the black liquid that was spread all over her home turf, she transformed this boy into the Ogre of Grimm, as he was named later in legends. With a black spear in hand, the Ogre would lead hordes of Grimm upon human encampments, even conquering a major Mantle colony.

The next was another male, but this one was... different. For one thing, this human was already part Grimm, a reason that had slipped past the god's sight. Oh well, he wasn't a time god, so he couldn't see how this came to be, so he decided to concentrate on what would become of it. It was... strange, to say the least. It seemed to be a combination of an adult human male and a Manticore Grimm, if the wings on its back were obvious enough of a sign. After this Demon of Grimm, as the humans called it, rampaged throughout the world, Salem sent the Ogre of Grimm to bring it to her.

It was... interesting to see that fight. It was strange to see a rogue Grimm like this human go toe to toe with such a powerful opponent like the Ogre. At first, the younger brother thought that the so-called Demon might actually win this fight. But nevertheless, the Ogre subdued the once human and brought him to Salem. At first, the destruction deity was concerned that the woman wouldn't be able to control it, due to its human origins, but in the end, it was just like any other Grimm.

And now it's present day. And the younger god couldn't wait to see what happened next, especially with the Wizard's current incarnation, otherwise known as Ozpin.


	5. EBNE: Northlands

**EBNE: Northlands**

During the Events of RWBY Volume 1

Nathan Bourbon held up his new spear with pride. Though not particularly long, the shaft was headed by a clean, razor edged spear head. It was crafted with special materials that absorbs light particles in similar fashion to a solar panel. Much of the blade was crafted with obsidian as a core base. Hammered in a forge enhanced by fire dust, the weapon was masterfully crafted. The shaft was constructed with gold mixed into the steel to better augment the semblance of Nathan, it's sole wielder.

"I can't thank you enough for this," he exclaimed excitedly.

Elizabeth Malacraft, the creator of the spear construct, breathed a sigh of relief. Covered in the ash of a strong forge, she smiled beside herself. She was an expert at craftsmanship, hence the reason why Nathan recruited her, but it wasn't often she could use her hands on a forge. It wasn't just any run of the mill forge either. She used a dust empowered Mantle forge, a powerful superheated masterpiece that could work with all known metals.

Mantle forges were falling off the map, however, as more and more Atlesian factories dominate the market. People find robotics and mass-produced steel more appealing than hand crafted and mined materials. Much of this can be chalked up to Atlas' superior technology and industry. As it were, the rarity of Mantle forges happens to be the reason why Nathan, Brittany, and Elizabeth traveled to Ebonvale, a far northern Mantle settlement that was built to mine the black dust that cloaks the inner workings of the mountains. Ebonvale was originally intended to be another dust mine, but as the miners dived deeper and deeper into the mountains, they discovered rare ores and minerals, hidden caverns with rare crystals, and, perhaps most shocking of all, large streams of obsidian, an ore found only in volcanic rock. The mining camp boomed into a prosperous town. Many began to talk about possibly making it the capital. It was a hub for trade and entertainment.

"I hope it's up to your standards. It wasn't easy blending hardened steel and obsidian, but my semblance helped with that," Elizabeth explained.

Nathan couldn't help but crack a grin. He found his new recruit as a mere maid to an abusive man. When he first laid eyes on her, she was well dressed in a fine black dress hugged firmly by a feminine white apron. Her garments were a clear indication of her servant status. His intrigue in her was not for her appearance, however, it was for her brilliant mind. The spear she had crafted him would be near impossible to best. By all rights, she should be an arrogant and confident woman. Yet the faunus maid before him, still decked out in her uniform, continued to be shy and humble.

"It is a shame that this place is abandoned though," Elizabeth frowned, "You would think Atlas would at least attempt to reclaim it."

"True," Nathan admitted, "But it went off the radar years ago. Atlas won't risk what little resources it has for what could easily be ruins."

It was true. Years ago, Mantle lost contact with Ebonvale nearly overnight. Merchants and trade caravans would venture there and never come back. Any military personnel sent to investigate ended up found dead. Heightened Grimm attacks plagued the land, and Ebonvale faded from people's minds. Economically, culturally, and militarily, the loss of Ebonvale was a blow to the prosperity of Mantle. What continued to beat at Mantle was the cause. Rumors sprouted all over in an effort to answer. A conspiracy theory or two was formed. Officially, it has been assumed that a colossal Grimm attack wiped out the settlement. The prevailing belief, however, is no less sinister.

"You know it's the Ogre," Brittany Lilith dropped in from scouting the back alleys of the streets, her scarlet hair whipping out as she jumped up onto the railing that surrounded the Mantle forge.

An annoyed expression formed itself on Nathan's face. He turned to Brittany none too pleased.

"Don't bring up that insanity. It's just a story," he scolded.

Brittany chuckled beside herself. She always loved the old fairy tale, 'The Ogre of Grimm'. For years, her father would read her the tale of how a man became a Grimm. The story was practically tailored to be adapted into a horror film. That was what she loved most about it. While Brittany mused the story's dramatics, Elizabeth could only be puzzled as to what 'The Ogre of Grimm' was.

"If you don't mind," she hesitantly asked, "What is the Ogre?"

Brittany ripped up a fierce grin. Before she could say anything, however, Nathan shot her a disapproving look.

"Come on, Nathan. I want to make a lore story like in the movies," she playfully whined.

"Well, you won't," he turned to Elizabeth to satisfy her curiosity, "He's a made up tale about a human who was turned into a Grimm. As for the fate of Ebonvale, the general theory is that hundreds of thousands of Grimm surrounded the city, thereby cutting off any escape. It's believed that during that siege, the Ogre entered the city and slaughtered everyone down to the last child. Anyone who tried to flee was torn apart by a legion of Grimm."

"Oh," Elizabeth whispered under bated breath.

Nathan's grimace did not fade, "'Oh', indeed. Whether it's true or not, Ebonvale was destroyed and left as the shallow ruin you see today. Just like with Mantle, the city was left for dead by Atlas, who couldn't be bothered to send aid."

Brittany sighed bitterly. She always hated Nathan's political rants.

"We're done here," he began barking out orders, "Elizabeth, try to find some supplies in the caverns. Brittany, we'll take down the camp. We leave in one hour."

Taken off guard, Elizabeth scurried off to find extra food. Taking into account the many routes she could go, she went in favor of traveling the ramps and stairways that lead deep into the dark depths of the mountains. If nothing else, she could recover Obsidian samples for the road.

The road into the deep seemed to drop further and further as she traversed the forsaken city. Even still she continued to sprint through the caverns, ever hoping to find something of use. Elizabeth could find nothing except decaying ruins and machinery worn down by a lack of maintenance. The broken city disturbed her as a creeping feeling began to engulf her. A stench like none other emerged from the deep and was all that she could use to distract herself from the lingering sense of dread that came with the eerie silence. This sense of foreboding combined with the unknown stench ate at her endurance until her legs began to ache from running.

Every instinct Elizabeth possessed screamed at her to turn back, as the source of the stench became clear. Multiple bones and decaying corpses came into view. That in itself didn't bother her, it was their condition that did. Half the corpses were missing entire body parts. They looked torn apart. Worse, the few bodies that still had flesh on their bones had fresh bite marks, dried tear marks coating the bites. She thought to herself the possibility of Grimm inhabiting the shallow ruins. She dispelled this theory quickly, however, as Grimm wouldn't leave remains and they certainly don't weep.

Elizabeth forced herself to move past the bloody mess along the road. There was nothing she could do for them. As much as it displeased her, the same was not true in reverse. Small corridors along the road lead to living quarters dug into the rock. Within these quarters were pantries that stored the bulk of all the inhabitants food. Being dead, none of the inhabitants would stop her from looting their bodies for the keys to get in. Elizabeth crept down the winding corridors to reach these pantries. Oddly, she never found any food. Each living quarter was an identical repetition of the last she witnessed: a pile of bloodied corpses, a broken pantry security door, and no food. The most disturbing of these was how neatly organized the corpses are.

It was during her twelfth search that she noticed a presence. Something animal like had been following her for some time. It was careful to keep hidden in the bleak shadows. It made a mistake, however, as it's heavy breath did not escape the ears of the faunus.

'Should I confront it?' Elizabeth thought, 'Nathan and Brittany would. Though, if that breathing is anything to go on, that creature is massive. My tonfas won't be enough.'

A sinking feeling of vulnerability washed over her as a harsh grunt echoed behind her. It was close, she just knew it. Her watcher couldn't be a Grimm, if so it would have killed her long ago. No, this monster was something else entirely. Beads of sweat began to form across her face as her eyes widened. The stench of the corpses flared in her nostrils. She stood still waiting, waiting, and waiting evermore. Her canine ears flicked about as the soft rummaging of her stalker inched it's way closer.

'I-I can't die. I haven't proven myself to Nathan yet. I haven't seen the world like he promised I would. I... I... I have to do something. I have to move!'

Slowly, and with immense hesitation, Elizabeth turned to face her hunter. Upon seeing her stalker, her blood turned to water. The colossal creature standing a mere foot in front of her was draped with a thick black cloak. She could not see its face, but she could feel its eyes burrowing into her from inside the dark cowl. Perhaps the most unnerving feature was the dried blood that seemed to coat the cloak.

The creature gruffed and moaned, attempting a primitive communication for a moment. Elizabeth was too fearful to process any of it. Even as the figure stretched out a finger in her direction, she was frozen with fear. Unable to communicate with her, the creature abandoned its attempts and reached out to grab hold of her. Instinct took over and Elizabeth panicked, slipping away from its grasp and scurrying to the nearest corner in a nearby chamber. She let out a scream, unable to restrain her terror.

'I can't die. I can't die. I can't die. I can't die,' she repeated in her mind.

The creature was quick to follow her. It rushed to worm it's massive form through the chamber doorway, which was clearly meant for smaller individuals, acknowledging its apparent dominance. In its hurry to chase after Elizabeth its cloak was caught by the doorway that seemed to constrict the shape of the creature. The cloak, worn thin and ragged, ripped at the cowl, revealing the creature to be human.

Ebonvale was a city that was known for mining and trade, but it was also known for the breed of men it raised. The cold, mountainous climate made for towering people. Strong, durable, and physically massive, these humans were the pride of the Mantle military for ages. The specimen before Elizabeth was no exception.

Upon realizing that the cloak had torn, the son of Ebonvale wasted no time in descending into a primitive panic. He outright ignored the fox faunus he had trapped while he scrapped together the tattered cloak.

Backed into a corner, Elizabeth grasped at her sanity in an attempt to calm herself. She covered her chest practically begging her heart to slow its rapid beating. As the unknown man's circumstance dawned on her, she slowly recovered, bringing her instincts under control again. She looked down trying to recover her ragged breath, which had all but burned her throat raw. Her thoughts were jumbled with the incessant gruffs and pants that were roared out nonsensically by the man.

Only a moment ago, he had driven her to a shaking mess. Now? He was naught but an amusement, reminiscent of a caged lion. She gazed at him with hesitant intrigue. How long has he been down here? Did he ever truly mean her harm? Questions upon questions piled up in her mind. After an embarrassing amount of time, Elizabeth became aware of just how long she sat watching the remorseful panic of a behemoth pathetically trying to fix the ripped cloak. She was possessed by an urge to help him. To save him. To do _something_.

Slowly, tenderly Elizabeth rose and stepped forward. Nothing. Just more burbling grunts. After a moment, she carefully took another step forward. Only one foot away from him, he remains oblivious to her movements. She smoothly took another step, this time going around him and nearing the cloak. She knelt down beside him and analyzed the tattered cloth. It was heavily worn, obviously, and grievously damaged. The cloak had been torn straight in two, with holes and stains covering the entirety of them. There was a small, albeit soot covered stitching near the bottom of the cloak: 'Edward E.'

'Perhaps this is Edward? Only one way to find out.'

"Um, E-Edward?" she choked out.

The broken human ceased his mad panic. He turned his head to Elizabeth with an incredulous expression. He seemed awestruck that his name, _his name_ , had been uttered. And by a stranger no less.

Sensing that he indeed answered to that name, she continued, "I can fix this if you want. W-would you like me to?"

Fearing for her life, she awaited his answer. Inwardly she screamed at herself for staying. Why hadn't she run? He clearly was in no state to stop her. She didn't owe him anything. She didn't need to help. What was she thinking? That she could take him away from this place and have adventures with this broken man? She didn't have to save him.

Nathan didn't need to save her either.

Edward just watched her. He just sat there and watched. She spoke his name. She said his name, the one he had nearly forgotten. She offered help.

It was after a extended period of silence that he registered what she was offering. 'She could fix my cloak.' He grunted silently as affirmation. Hesitantly, he slowly handed Elizabeth the torn remains of his cloak.

Taking the pieces of cloth in her hands, she set them down on her lap. Feeling the fabric did nothing to retract her cynical thoughts on the cloak. Drenched in mud and soot, the fact that it was intact at all was a miracle. Much of the linen was hardened and driven inflexible by the dried fluids that stain its surface. The threads of the tear were ripped and shattered, clearly having succumbed to the excessive weight pulling it down. She brought the two fabrics together at the tear and covered it with her hand. She then awakened her aura and activated her semblance, material repair.

Edward's eyes widened in awe as the strands of the cloak seemed to come to life. The individual strands roped around each other, breaking off the crusts of mud as they went. As though time was rewinding, the cuts reconnected as though nothing was inherently out of place about such a power. The grace and relaxed nature that Elizabeth exhibited thoroughly convinced Edward that he was witnessing the work of a goddess.

The last of the strands intertwining, Elizabeth let out a relieved sigh. She neatly folded the now crisp and durable cloak before handing to her companion with a wistful smile.

"All done," she confirmed as he carefully took it back, "Take good care of it, ok?"

He held the carefully folded fabric in his lap, in awe of the now pristine condition of the ebony colored cloak. His deep blue eyes began to cloud as an exhilarating wave of relief and longing washed over him. To Elizabeth's utter shock, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a mighty and solemn hug. His cold skin felt warm to the faunus maid.

Taken aback by the sudden affection, she rested in his arms dumbfounded, 'It's been years since someone has... has held me so... _compassionately_.'

She pondered what the feeling was. Recalling the training she was forced to rehearse, she began to reach for the skirt of her dress before stopping herself.

'What am I doing? This... this isn't...' she grew tearful in his arms, painfully aware that she had grown expectant of malice and hunger rather than affection and gratitude.

Painfully aware of how she so lovingly revered such simple acts of kindness, she tenderly wrapped her arms around him in a small gesture of warmth. It was the least she could do.

"Elizabeth! Where are you?" a familiar voice shouted out.

It was Brittany. She and Nathan had heard the echos of her scream. From the sound of the call, Elizabeth assumed they were just outside the corridor. She called out to her comrades excitedly, but was stopped by Edward, who now held onto her protectively.

"Come on now. They're friends," she reassured him, "There's nothing to worry about."

She gently stroked his arm in an attempt to calm him. While he certainly wouldn't budge, Edward did loosen his hold on her. It was only after a moment that he released her completely. As he did so, Nathan stepped into corridor. Eyes wide in pleasant surprise, Nathan could barely contain the intrigue in the form before him: a living survivor of Ebonvale. Brittany followed in close behind and broke the much needed question.

"Oh. Oh my. So, um, sweetie, I see you've got a friend there. Can you, like, you know, tell us who this might be?" she desperately grasped at tact.

"Well," Elizabeth began, "This is Edward. He sorta found me here. But, um, he's very friendly. He's awfully lonely down here. Shouldn't we help him?"

'And _there's_ the guilt trip,' Nathan thought to himself, 'Passing the choice to me. Figures. She clearly wants to bring him along. I'd approve on normal circumstances, as it's not everyday I'm handed an Ebonvale recruit. But we'd have to get him equipment which, given his size, would cost a fortune. Then there's the food supply. We're running a bit low and he'll likely make logistics a nightmare and we have to get back to...'

Brittany rolled her eyes, knowing all too well how Nathan is burning off a list of pros and cons in his head. Once again, she'd have to apply her woman's trump card. She crossed her arms with a daring smile on her lips.

"Agreed. We should help him," she eyed Nathan mischievously and expectantly, "Wouldn't you agree, Nathan?"

This would not be the first time she pulled out her trump card on Nathan. He had never been capable to argue with women, or at least not well. That was just how he was raised, and Brittany would abuse the _hell_ out of it. He knew it, she knew it, and a 7'4" hulk of a man left little room for tactless debate.

'Crap. She's doing that woman thing again,' Nathan grimaced before giving his orders, "Fine, we'll take him with us. Elizabeth, get him back to camp and craft him some gear."

Elizabeth smiled warmly before taking Edward's hand and leading him to their camp. Brittany turned to follow but stopped after noticing Nathan's blank stare. It concerned her when he seemingly blacked out in thought.

"Nathan," she called out but he did not hear, "Nathan, what's wrong?"

Snapping out of his thinking, he looked at her, the concerned expression apparent. He tore his eyes away from hers and looked to the neatly piled corpses on the other end of the corridor. Grimly, he spoke his thoughts.

"I'm glad we found him, a survivor. I'm glad Elizabeth found a friend. He'll be of immense help. It's just..." he paused, considering how to go about his next words, "On our way down here, we past eleven other corridors. This place clearly isn't maintained and no wildlife comes this far north."

His eyes glared at the broken and picked bodies, "He's seen hell. That much is obvious. But he must have been trapped here for years. Just what did he have to eat?"


	6. EBNE: Intel

**EBNE: Intel**

Before the Events of RWBY Volume 2

Day 1

"An entire train?" Nathan Bourbon exasperated.

"That's correct. The cargo is now lost, but I still want the perpetrators disposed of," the Schnee family head insisted.

Nathan stood in the office of the Schnee mansion. His client, Jacques Schnee, the head of the family, was debriefing him on a recent robbery done by the white fang. Nathan had long sold his team's services to the Schnee Dust Company. It seemed in nearly every mission, the White Fang was involved. Robbery, rioting, arson, vandalism, the occasional murder; the Faunus terror group had done it all. This was something else entirely, though. To not only attack a train, a heavily armed train, but to wipe out the security robots in under five minutes with only two people? This is quite an achievement.

"I'll be out to see off my daughter in four days. You have until then to capture the criminals responsible and bring them to justice," Jacques threatened.

Nathan nodded. As much as he hated being spoken down to, the Schnee Dust Company was his best client. Plus, they were the only clientele who offered payment in tech. He held his hands behind his back in militant drill.

"Before I go, sir, might I have a spare 20mm?" Nathan tactfully asked.

The Schnee glared daggers at the young huntsman and hissed, "It isn't for that animal again, is it?"

The Schnee's insult ran deep into the mind of the man before him. Nathan gripped his hands a little harder to the point where they turned white.

"With all due respect, sir, her name is Elizabeth," he bit back the urge to scream.

The Schnee coldly scoffed, "I don't care what you call your pet, so long as its properly tamed."

Nathan's tactful smile faded and his eyes glared horribly. His grip tightened until his nails began to dig into his flesh. His hands started to get wet from the blood eking out of his palms. The Schnee read the signs that Nathan was at his limit. He turned his revolving chair towards the window.

"You are dismissed," he casually said.

Nathan quickly marched out of the office and into hallways. He pulled out his scroll and texted his childhood friend, Brittany Lilith, explaining the situation in detail.

* * *

Day 2

Nathan took a seat in the local Atlesian bar next to a red haired woman.

"So, Brittany, how much info did you get?", Nathan began.

The woman beside him, Brittany, turned to him, a smile on her lips, "I got the targets' names. Adam Taurus and Blake."

Nathan raised his eyebrow in intrigue, "Blake? That's it? No last name?"

Brittany waved her hand dismissively, "That's it. Just Blake."

Nathan sat in silence, pondering what to do next. Brittany's Semblance allows her to surrender her sight for a short while to pinpoint the exact location of whoever it is she wants to find. She can't use the ability without a full name though.

"Any ideas, boss?" Brittany inquired.

"There is one place where we can find out Blake's last name. It's tricky though, cause we'll have to plow through a lot of hostiles," Nathan relented.

"Well, the old geezer gave us that big gun Elizabeth wanted, right? It shouldn't be too hard," Brittany mused.

Nathan's face grew dark and unfeeling. His cold, death like stare sparked interest in his lovely companion.

"What happened?" Brittany's voice began to lose its composed grace, "Did he refuse? Did something happen to Elizabeth? Are they out of guns?! That last one would be ironic."

Nathan's words were tinted with the venom of hatred, "He called her an animal. 'So long as its tamed,' he says."

There was a long pause of silence in the busy pub as the two barely contained their wrath.

"...Did you break his face?" Brittany coldly whispered.

Nathan pursed his lips and shut his eyes tight, confirming that he would have very much liked to. Brittany sighed softly.

"Nathan," she began with a soft, caring voice, "Why are we doing this? There are other jobs out there. I know you hate working for him. You haven't been truly happy since the academy. Everyone can see it, you know. Especially with that cold look in your eye."

She paused to let the message take effect. Nathan slowly turned to her with a soft smile.

"Brittany," he whispered, "Thanks."

The Huntress warmly grinned.

Nathan continued, adding with a flat dead-pan voice, "I'm still not doing role reversal."

"Oh, come on!" Brittany exclaimed, abandoning her caring lover facade, "At least _once_. I even found the perfect dress."

Nathan gave a hearty look of familiarity, "Remember what I said? 'Not until we finish with the Schnee runes'. After we found out how to duplicate it, then I might consider it. _Might_."

Brittany began to pout in protest, "I don't wanna wait! Who knows when the next time you'll have that figure? I know it will change, especially since you keep eating meat. Never zero calories only..."

Nathan rolled his eyes as his friend ranted. He'd have little time to hunt down his targets if he has to go to the outpost, an isolated pocket of buildings that houses the White Fang and, more importantly, the names of every prominent White Fang member. Luckily, he can make up that time with Elizabeth and Edward's efficiency. For now though, he continued to endure the verbal hurricane Brittany threw his way.

* * *

Day 3

Elizabeth Malacraft was putting the finishing touches on the jeep they suited up. She was super excited to install the 20mm turbo lancer, an artillery piece in all fairness with a reputation for fast firing piercing shots. Though she did all the welding, it was Edward who set up the equipment. The behemoth of a man silently watched the fox Faunus work. Nathan and Brittany soon entered the store house, having identified a White Fang member in the outpost.

"Everything ready?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth raised her welding mask, happy to see her friends, "Yep, it's all ready boss. But here's an idea. Now hear me out. What if we charged this thing towards the outpost in slow motion?"

Nathan wasn't convinced, "How can we move in slow motion?"

Edward grunted, earning the attention of his teammates. He proceeded to make a variation of hand signs.

Perplexed, Nathan asked, "Elizabeth, translation?"

"Life finds a way."

"Uh-huh. Brittany? You ready?" Nathan queued.

The huntress grinned cockily, "Of course."

Brittany's eyes glowed, signifying the use of her Semblance. As it became it's most intense, the glow in her eyes vanished.

"They're in Vale," she sputtered, out of breath.

Elizabeth's brow lowered in confusion, "Who's in Vale?"

Nathan grinned slyly, "Some random guy who moved to the outpost."

* * *

Day 4

7:20 PM

Nathan looked over at the outpost below. The glorified storage unit was lit up bright by the many spot lights the White Fang rigged up. Even from the rocky hillside team EBNE stood from, it was clear to make out the dozens upon dozens of Faunus scurrying busily throughout and around the building. The cool breeze nicked a frozen chill against the skin of Nathan. After a brief examination of the base, he turned to Brittany.

"How many?"

Brittany looked over the outpost, estimating the numbers of the White Fang. Her blue eyes radiating a bright light. She looked back at Nathan.

"I'm guessing perhaps some two hundred forty in all. One hundred inside the compound and the rest outside. Most are in groups of thirteen, but some have a count of twenty eight. There are only seven in the room with the documents we're after," she reported.

The team stood in silence, awaiting Nathan's call. Nathan was locked in hard thought. Finally, he announced his plan.

"We should probably use terror and confusion to our advantage. Ed, throw me upwards on my signal. Brittany, I'm gonna need a massive maelstrom of fire all along the ridge. Make sure its height reaches me; when it does, unleash it on the outpost. After that's done, me and Brittany will assault the outpost while Ed and Elizabeth dispose of any remnants. Clear?"

All three of his compatriots nodded in unison. His strategies hadn't failed them before. None were foolish enough, however, to rely on tactics alone. Each of them had to do there utmost to ensure success.

Nathan queued Edward with a tap to his forehead. Dropping his mace, Edward grabbed Nathan by the abdomen and slugged him as high as he could. The speed of the wind cut into Nathan's face like a rush of pine needles. He had no time to waste. He raised his spear, despite the wind resistance, and channeled his stored luminescence into it. With a great flash, his spear sparked to life, illuminating the night sky.

Brittany took this as her que as she pulled out a pair of red Dust shards the size of her palms from her satchel. On normal circumstances, it would be impossible to accomplish the task she'd been given, but the team was able to recover a special artifact in the form of an armband which allows for her to, theoretically, match even one of the four Maidens in power; assuming, of course, she had the Dust. Using her magics, the two shards evaporated and began to blossom into a pair of fiery wings. The wings flew into the sky, expanding as it went until it formed a vast wall of flame.

The White Fang below awed at the sight before them. Only a seasoned few rallied to find cover, pulling with them any new recruits they could. This was what Nathan was waiting for. When gravity finally began to pull him down, he activated his favorite attack: a solar flare. He pointed his spear at the outpost and unleashed a massive blast of luminescent energy.

A massive beam of pure light burned intensely against the entirety of the outpost. All wood, rubber, oil, and cloth was burned to near vaporization. Any White Fang members unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast were annihilated. Following close behind the solar flare was the wall of fire, which crashed down upon the outpost like a tsunami. Vehicles and metal melted to the heat.

Despite the devastation caused, the outpost stood defiant. It's walls were unfazed by the burning assault. Unlike the outpost, however, many of the White Fang began nothing short of a route. They fled despite the hardest efforts of their veteran counterparts. It was then that Elizabeth and Brittany took off towards the base in the car, Edward charging right behind them. Brittany pulled out a light blue Dust shard and turned in her seat.

"One cannon, coming right up," she whispered to herself.

Using her magics once again, she forced the shard into a large ramp; resembling the kind one would find at a skate park. Nathan, starting to regret not making a landing strategy, saw Brittany's gift to him. He would take full advantage of it. Turning over mid descent, he pointed his spear down in a nosedive towards the ramp. Upon reaching the ramp, he quickly slid down before reaching the end of its line. He shot off of the edge, quickly gaining on his teammates.

The White Fang may have been demoralized, but the veterans still stood strong. Quickly reorganizing, they made a token defence. Two of the elite would barricade themselves inside to protect the files. The remaining fighters charged out to meet the unknown enemy. For a moment, there was total focus. Both sides, White Fang terrorists and Team EBNE, seemingly charged in slow motion. In that moment, Brittany turned to Elizabeth, who was driving the car with destructive intent.

"Life finds a way, eh?" she grinned heartily.

Elizabeth returned her friend's grin.

"Life finds a way!" she declared loudly.

The two forces clashed in earnest brutality. Edward rammed through large numbers of Faunus, toppling them down by pure weight of force. Nathan released all his momentum onto a large Faunus, striking him hard with is spear before quickly slashing down any White Fang member that moved. Brittany leapt from the jeep, claws out, scratching several opponents and leaving them in agony from her venom. Elizabeth also leapt from the jeep, letting it crash through a horde of White Fang grunts. She wasted no time in using her Semblance, bending and dulling the weapons of the Faunus until they were useless.

Team EBNE cut a large swath through the White Fang, bringing down any foolish enough to attempt a melee. The team twisted and dodged through what seemed like a sea of bullets and blades. All attacks they made decimated their targets. Nathan took relishment in the moment of the battle. In those moments, they were invincible. Soon, a pair of Faunus pulled up a small AT gun and opened fired on the team. Before it made contact, Edward leapt in front of the line of fire, taking every shot. Despite it piercing his shield after several shots, the shells were incapable of breaking through his armor. Elizabeth took this as a chance to remind Nathan of his part of the plan.

"Hey boss, didn't you have a plan that involved splitting up?" she teased while nailing a headshot on a monkey faunus.

Nathan shot her a wicked grin, "Right you are. Come Brittany, we're off!"

The pair rushed off the battlefield towards the outpost. Meanwhile, the White Fang pressed their attack with the AT gun as the head of the strike. Elizabeth continued to duck and dodge all blows against her with a grace few can match. Edward took the brunt of the Faunus advance, personally blocking every shot from the AT gun. Every advance against the two cost the White Fang dearly. They wouldn't let up, however, for their efforts began to show results. Edward's shield was a pile of ruin and his armor was all but destroyed. Though he fought on, his movements were visibly slower, his dark blue eyes stared blankly into the ground beneath him. It was at this moment that Elizabeth came to his aid, putting a bullet hole in any who tried to touch him.

A group of heavy troops among the White Fang charged forward to finish the fight with the sword. Few could get close due to Elizabeth's tonfa blades. Those that did were just barely able to restrain her. When they did, a large cheer soared from the white fang. Until one Faunus noticed something about their new captive.

"Oi! She's got a tail!" he screeched in delight.

His comrade cockily grinned, kneeling down to her eye level, "Well well. What's a fox like you doing fighting us?"

Elizabeth averted her eyes. She knew all too well the irony of fighting an organization that stood for her rights. Regardless, she refused to be swayed by a murderer, and a chicken Faunus murderer at that.

The heavy trooper reached out his hand to grab her chin. What he got was a fang sinking into his thumb.

"Aaaghh!" he screamed in pained,"You little-!"

He slapped her across the face in tremendous rage. Her single whimper was all that sealed his fate. Coming out of his rage, he began to hear the loud shouts of warning and shock. Turning from Elizabeth, the faunus was face to face with a colossal pale skinned and bloodthirsty Edward. Before he could react, Edward grabbed hold of his face. The grip of Edward shattered the white fang mask and cracked the faunus's skull. A purple aura enveloped the man as his very life force was stripped from him.

Terrified, not a single White Fang grunt charged to save their accomplice. Seconds after it began, the Faunus was little more than a wrinkled, gray husk that Edward tossed aside casually. Elizabeth, though bound, activated her Semblance. Every chipped piece of Edward's armor reformed on him as though it had never broken off in the first place. The pride the White Fang had felt vanished. Every one of them fled. Not one of them escaped. Not a single one could escape those furious eyes.

Meanwhile at the outpost, Nathan and Brittany won their battle. Well, to say it was a battle is inaccurate. It is best described as a one-sided slaughter. At the moment, Brittany was torturing the two elites that had attempted to fight them. Nathan, however, was going through the files of high ranking members.

"Brittany," Nathan asked like a nuclear family dad, "Would you be a dear and ask them why Blake isn't showing up here?"

The following minute was non-stop screaming.

"They said to look in the wanted section," Brittany informed him.

Nathan skimmed through the folder labeled wanted and began listing them off as he went, "Let's see here. Weiss Schnee. Winter Schnee. Schnee, Schnee, and would you look at that! Another Schnee. Oh hey, I'm in here. Aw, damn it, they got my Semblance wrong..."

Then a group of pictures caught his eye. Not what he was looking for, but curiosity got the better of him. After all, it was an extreme rarity for there to be a family other than the Schnees that was on the White Fang's hit list... or, _was_ , at least. It was a simple family of three, two parents and a son, all with the last name Yin. The two adults were marked as taken out, but the son, however, seemed to have piqued the White Fang's interest, as his profile was marked as currently monitoring. Nathan took a quick look at the son's profile.

'Skyler Yin...' he thought, 'No discovered Semblance, yet accepted into Beacon Academy earlier this year... Interesting... might have to watch out for him when we head to the Vytal Festival.'

Nathan quickly memorized Skyler's face and then continued to flip through the files until he found his target. Blake Belladonna. He showed the name to Brittany for her to track. Her Semblance allows for up to three specified targets, so tracking Adam Taurus and Blake Belladonna was a simple matter.

"Bad news, Nathan," she spoke concerned, "They're in different places. Adam is in the redwood and Blake is at Beacon."

Nathan scowled. This was their final day for the bounty. They could only just barely reach Adam by the time the bounty ended. To get into Beacon, though? Impossible.

"So what do we do?" Brittany asked.

"We'll send those two to old Schnee. He doesn't know who stole his Dust, just how many. Meanwhile, we'll get our chance during the Vytal Festival to find out what Miss Belladonna is doing in Beacon. If she's enrolled, we're too late. If not, we'll get her and Adam and pocket a double bounty. Get Ed and Elizabeth, we're moving out," he ordered.

'Blake Belladonna. What a lovely name. Even if it belongs to a trapped mouse.'

* * *

Day 5

12:00 AM

"Whose file were you looking at?"

"Huh?" Nathan replied groggily, not exactly happy about his sleep being interrupted.

"You stopped at a set of files," Brittany said, "Whose were they?"

Nathan pondered telling her, the pros and cons weighing in his head, but then he just shrugged in acceptance, "Something that caught my eye. After all, it isn't every day that you see a family on the White Fang hit list that _isn't_ the Schnees."

That caught Brittany's attention as well as it had caught his, "Really? Who was it?"

"I didn't get a good look, but it was a family of three; the Yin family. Apparently, the parents were killed not too long ago, and their only child, Skyler Yin, is attending Beacon."

"So... do you think he'll become relevant to us?"

"If we happen to bump into him? Absolutely. He seems as though he'd be a nice ally to have. No parents, no Semblance... His current situation _screams_ angst. I think we'll get along quite nicely."


	7. Area 51 Raid

**Just to be clear, no, this is not canon to Team SHDW. Just had to be clear on that. I really only wrote this because you all know what today is. I had a stroke of inspiration. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Area 51 Raid**

"Isn't this going a bit far for an Internet meme?"

"It's not about the meme, Malacraft," Felix Scout said, "It's about sending a message."

Almost literally everyone was looking over a cliff and down at the large complex, known as Area 51. Every person in the series was there, observing the area, looking for good weak spots to exploit. But one doesn't have a situation like this without a little humorous banter.

"A message to who?" Tara Gordon deadpanned, "The Atlas specialists when you get locked up?"

"Really?" Nefera Viles responded, "Then why are you here and not turning us in?"

"Because sometimes it's more fun to watch a dumpster fire than to prevent one from happening," Tara retorted.

"Either way," Felix said, "Atlas has been hiding all of those aliens in that building. Along with various other things. If our intel's correct."

"I have never been wrong before," Zander "Akuma" Rogue replied, "I am one hundred percent certain."

"I'm just here for the anime husbandos, honestly," Selena Rustin put out.

"You kidding?" Dante Williams replied, "These bastards are hiding No Game No Life Season 2! I ain't letting that slide!"

"Maybe so, but I heard there's also the four hour cut of Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith in there," Severian Ashbringer spoke up, "Freaking weebs."

"I want to see Atlas burn," Tracy Smith said, "This seems like a good place to start."

Sapphire Drey lowered the binoculars she was holding, "But none of that will matter if their defense is solid. Lilith, how many enemies are there?"

Brittany Lilith quickly assessed the battleground with her Semblance, "Eh... I'd say about... ooh, wow, uh... about five thousand _just_ outside... The inside is so densely packed that I can't get a good estimate."

"S-Seems we aren't the only ones who took the meme a bit too seriously," Tatiana Epona sighed nervously.

"That's a good amount of people..." a male voice said from behind them.

"Seems a bit unfair..." another male voice replied.

"Perhaps for them," a female voice said as she cracked her knuckles, "I was afraid we weren't gonna have some fun."

Everyone turned to see the smirking faces of Skyler Yin, Nathan Bourbon, and Rose "Bloodmane" Greymalk. It was a sunny day, giving Nathan the opportunity to take full advantage of his Semblance, as well as casting plenty of shadows for Rose to use for her own.

"There's about fifteen thousand people overall," Skyler continued, "My guy on the inside confirmed it. But now...

Skyler pulled his hand over his face, his Grimm mask appearing on his face and his Aura flaring at full power, _"Time to send a message."_

* * *

"General Ironwood!" an Atlas technician called from his seat, "You might want to look at this!"

General James Ironwood rushed over, "What is it?"

"We just got a spike in Grimm readings!" the technician reported, "But it's all coming from one source! And all around it are about forty other Aura readings!"

Ironwood glared at the computer screen, "Yin..."

He then turned to everyone else, "Battle stations! The raiders are here! Stop them at all costs!"

"YES SIR!" came the response of all troops.

Ironwood slammed his mechanical hand on the nearby desk, "We can't let them know what we have here..."

One troop who had left the room, however, stopped and ducked into the nearest corner to whisper into his earpiece, "Skyler, it's me. You certainly got their attention."

* * *

 _"Thank you, Kuron,"_ Skyler replied before turning to his two colleagues, _"Glad you two could join us today."_

Nathan smirked at him, his body beginning to glow white with how much sunlight he was absorbing, "Trust me, I'm glad to be here. The Eclipse Syndicate has your back, and they're at the ready."

Shadows began to trail up Rose's body, marking her like strange, black vein like tattoos, and stopping just under her eyes, "Same here. Let's kick their asses and see those aliens."

Skyler grinned under his mask as he then turned to Zander, _"Everyone ready?"_

Zander gave a rare smile as he put on his own Grimm mask, and a single wing made of Grimm Essence sprung out of the left side of his back, "As ready as we'll ever be."

Everyone stood up straight, readying their weapons. Nathan pulled Ultima Ratio Regum out in front of him, Rose expertly spun Persuasion and Reason in her hands, and Skyler pulled the trigger on Kasai, surrounding the blade with Shadow Dust. Down below them, multiple Bullhead airships took off and made their way toward them.

In response, Auriel Hawk simply smirked, hooked up an aux cord to Bellerophon, and pressed a button on her scroll. The song known as 'Silhouette', the sixteenth opening to Naruto Shippuden, blasted through the speakers. With their obligatory anime opening playing in the background, everyone hyped up, more ready than they ever have before.

 _"Let's Naruto-run our way to victory."_

* * *

 **I wrote this all in less than an hour... My muse works in mysterious ways... But yeah, this is not meant to be taken seriously at all, so don't try to please. Till next time guys!**


	8. Nondescript Winter Holiday Special

**Merry Christmas everybody! I got the inspiration for this from TeamFourStar's Hellsing Ultimate Abridged Christmas Special! Or should I say, a Nondescript Winter Holiday Special! Enjoy!**

* * *

 **During the events of Team SHDW Volume 1**

A not so long time ago, in a school in Mistral lived a multitude of students, some sane and some not. Everything was oddly normal for this time of year. Then one night, a certain magical character visited them, changing their lives forever.

Rin was fast asleep in her team's dorm room, but, all of a sudden, a loud noise rung out, startling her awake. Quickly recognizing it as the sound of a weapon, she jumped out of bed and out of the room, surprisingly not alerting any of her teammates.

Rin rushed downstairs in a panic, screaming, "WHAT WAS THAT?! ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?! WHAT'S GOING ON?! STATUS REPORT!"

Rin arrived in the main lobby of Haven and turned on light to see Borvine Asterios sitting in a chair with his weapon out. He was, quite surprisingly, already dressed.

Borvine sighed and his insane persona spoke, "Before you start..."

Rin looked down at Borvine's feet to see a dead body lying there, a puddle of blood forming, "Oh my gods!"

"Okay!" Borvine tried again before Rin could go any further, "Before... you... start!"

Rin then took notice of what the dead body looked like. A red and white coat, a similar colored hat, rosy cheeks, a nose like a cherry, a bushy white beard, and black boots. Nearby was a giant sack. And blood was pouring from the body's neck.

The STAR member quickly realized that the dead body was Santa Claus with a slit throat, "HOLY SHIT!"

"Would you care for me to explain?!" Borvine asked, exasperated.

"OH YES, BORVINE!" Rin snapped, as if she wasn't angry enough already, "I would love to know why you attacked and killed Father Nondescript Winter Holiday!"

"He startled me," Borvine simply stated.

Rin's jaw dropped in shock and disbelief, "He startled you?!"

"He... startled... me!" Borvine insisted.

"Oh, well, I guess he should apologize."

"Well, it's gonna be kinda hard, 'cause, you know, I killed him."

"Brilliant. So what're we supposed to do?!"

Borvine sighed and got up from his seat, "Welp, I guess I have to save Nondescript Winter Holiday."

Rin groaned and face-palmed. She didn't like where this was going.

Borvine started to take the red and white coat off of the dead Santa, "Yup, no other option."

"How about _any_ other option?" Rin suggested, desperate to stop Borvine, "Any at all!"

Borvine put on the coat, a grin coming across his face, "No use trying to put the brakes on this, it's going down!"

Rin was silent as realization crept up on her, "You planned this."

Borvine feigned confusion, "What?"

"You planned this," the STAR member accused, "I know you did!"

Borvine scoffed, "You honestly don't trust me?"

Suddenly, Nefera Viles entered through the door, wearing a tight elf costume, and said, "Borvine! The sleigh has been secured! Unfortunately, Vixen died, but-"

Nefera stopped short, noticing Rin was glaring at the two BNSH members, "Oh..."

Borvine was silent for a few awkward seconds before pointing to Nefera, "You won't believe how cheap that elf costume was!"

Rin angrily inhaled.

"I _stole_ it!"

"BORVINE!"

"LET ME HAVE MY 'NIGHTMARE BEFORE NONDESCRIPT WINTER HOLIDAY' MOMENT!"

And so, Borvine Claus and his little helper visited many houses that night... until Borvine got bored, and kinda wandered off.

 **The End**

"HAHAHAHA!" Borvine cried into the night, "Merry Nondescript Winter Holiday!"


End file.
